Automatic flow treater



1941- H. K. IHRIG EI'AL 2,232,943

AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER Filed Aug. 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 III TTORNEYFeb. 25, 1941. H. K. IHRIG EIAL 7 AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER Filed Aug. 22,1938 4 Sheet-Sheetfi 'INV Tols flare/a H. K. IHRIG ETAL Feb. 25,1941.

AUTOMATIC FLOW TREATER Filed Aug. 22, 1938 i 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 Wm Y r Em m W 0 N n d n A 0 m w Feb. 25, 1941. H. K. lHRlG ETAL AUTOMATIC FLOWTHEATER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTQRS flare/a [II/v9, all? Her/an 5.flaw/16S.

AT 'ORNEY Filed Aug. 22, 1938 13:1 W uu Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITEDSTATES 2,232,948 AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER Harold K. Ihrig and Harlan 8.Barnes, Oklahoma City, Okla, assignors to Black, Sivalls & Bryson,

Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla., Maine a corporation of Application August22, 1938, Serial No. 226,106

3 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating liquids such as thosedischarged from an oil well and usually constituting a mixture of oil,water and gas wherein a part of thewater and oil is in theform ofemulsion. To free the oil in the emulsion and water and gas mixture, thewell flow is passed through a separating and treating apparatus whereinthe flow is subjected to heat in conjunction with a chemical. When theflow contains a great amount of free water the capacity and efflciencyof the treating equipment is greatly decreased for the reasori that allof the water is heated and may be chemically treated along with the oiland oil emulsion. Another disadvantage is that gas breaks out of theheated oil during the chemical treatment with the result that theliberated gas rises through the treating solution and produces anagitation that is detrimental to proper treatment, and a furtherdisadvantage is that for some inexplicable reason the oil, on leavingthe treating section of the apparatus, travels outwardly through thesettling section with a side to side rolling motion to further produceagitation which is detrimental to successful treatment.

Therefore the principal objects of the present invention are to providea treating apparatus wherein the gas'and free water in the flow areseparated prior to chemical and heat treatment; and to provide aseparating and treating apparatus constructed to prevent agitationwithin the chemical treating and settling sections thereof.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, ashereinafter pointed out, we have provided improved details of structure,the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a how treating apparatusconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the gas separating portion of theapparatus on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar section through the water knock-out portion of theapparatus on the line 3- 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the settling portion of theapparatus on the line 4-4 of Fi 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the lower portionof the apparatus showing a part of the heater casing broken away tobetter illustrate the burners and the baffles form- Fig. 8 is a similarsection particularly lllusl0 trating the siphon for discharging thewater collecting in the knock-out portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a detail section through the oil discharge connection.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of the baflles carried in thetreating portion of the apparatus.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a flow treating apparatus constructed in accordance withthe present invention, and which includes a substantially elongated tank2 arranged on end and having a cylindrical wall 3 closed at its ends bycrowned heads 4 and 5. The lower end of the tank has a base ring 6welded to the lower head 5 and to an anchoring plate I which is adaptedfor support directly on a foundation (not shown). Partially encirclingthe lower portion of the tank is a heating chamber and hot gaspassageway 8 formed between the wall of the tank and a refractory linedjacket 9.

The chamber 8 is open at its lower end to' provide an inlet ill forcombustion supporting .air necessary in supplying a series of burners IIwhich are furnished with fuel such as the gas separated from the flowbeing treated through a pipe I2. The upper end of-the passageway isclosed by a plate l3, having an outlet opening I4 connected with thelower end of a flue or stack I5 extending upwardly alongside the tank 40wall, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The stack thus forms an outlet forthe spent products of combustion and has its upper end covered by a capHi. The chamber 8' has a series of bailles i1, spaced apart as at pathfor the products of combustion on their way to the .stack l5, therebyassuring maximum transfer of heat to the wall 3 of the treating tank.'The upper portion of the tank has a horizontal diaphragm or partitionis extending thereacross to cooperate with the head 4 in forming a gasseparating chamber 20. The tank also has a similar partition 2|cooperating with the partition is to form .a water knockout chamber 22and with the lower head 5 to form a treating 55 is to provide a tortuousand settling compartment 23. Connected with the wall of the tank,substantially midway oi the height. of the gas separating chamber, is aflow inlet 24 that is connected with thesource of fluid to be treated,such as the flow line of an oil well and through which the well flow isdirected tangentially for circumvolution about the inner wall of the gasseparating chamber by a bailie 25, Figs. 1 and 2.

Extending upwardly from an opening 26 in the partition i9 is a standpipe 2'1 through which pressures are equalized within the gas separatingand water knock-out chambers. The pipe 21 extends to the top of the gasseparating chamber, as shown in Fig. 1, to prevent flow of liquidtherethrough. The side of the partition i9 is cut away on the sidediametrically opposite the inlet to form an outlet 28 for the liquidconstituents of the flow from the gas separating chamber to the chamber22. Connected with the cut away edge of the partition I9 is a plate 29having its lower edge extending downwardly within the water knock-outchamber, the side edges of the plate being welded to the inner wall ofthe tank as shown in Fig. 3. The opposite edge of the partition 2| issimilarly cut away to connect with a vertical plate 30 having its sideedges welded to the inner face of the tank wall as shown in Fig. 4, andwhich extends from a point slightly below the partition iii to a pointnear the lower head of the tank to connect with a horizontal plate orbafiie 3|.

The plate 30 cooperates with the wall of the tank to form a verticalflume 32 wherethrough oil and emulsion collecting in the water knockoutchamber overflow into the chemical treating chamber as shown in Fig. 1.Attention is directed to the fact that the flume extends through theheat zone of the heater and the liquid delivered Y therethrough passesin direct contact with the heated inner surface of the tank wall. It istherefore apparent that the liquid traveling therethrough is heated-toas high a degree as the liquid passing through the treating chamber.This is an important feature because any of the readily vaporizableliquids are gasifled within the time prior to their admission into thetreating chamber. The vapors evolved bubble upwardly through thedownwardly flowing liquid and collect in the upper portion of the waterknock-out chamber to pass out through the stand pipe 21 into the gasseparating chamber where they come in contact with the relatively coldflow being admitted to the apparatus. Contact with the colder fluidsefiects condensation of the condensable vapors, which condensates arecarried along with the well flow for return through the chemicaltreating chamber. Some condensation occurs progressively as the risingvapors encounter lower temperatures while ascending the flume andpassing through the water knock-out section.

The uncondensable vapors pass out with the separated gas through a sprayextractor 33 carried within the gas separating chamber and having anoutlet pipe 34 connected with a pipe 35 terminating in a lateral ofitakeline 36, the line 36 being provided with a pressure control valve 31 formaintaining a predetermined pressure within the treating apparatus. Thepipe 35 is also connected by a branch pipe 38 which in turn is connectedwith the burner supply pipe i2 previously mentioned.

The pipe 33 is preferably equipped with a hand-operated shut-oil valve39, a pressure reducing valve 40, and a shut-off valve 4! that isnormally retained open as long as the burners are operating, but whichis automatically closed when the flames are extinguished. The control iseffected by means of a thermostat 42 which extends into the heatingchamber and is operatively connected with the valve 4|.

In order to maintain a constant temperature within the chemical treatingchamber, the gas supply line has a control valve 43 that isthermostatically operated by means of a thermostat 44 extending into thebody of liquid carried in the treating chamber, as shown in Fig. 1.

Supported within the chemical treating chamber is a vertical series ofalternately inclined bafiies 45. The baiiies 45 are best illustrated inFig. 11, and are shown as including plates 46 having depending sideflanges 41 and 48 connected at the lower ends of the plates 46 witha'depending flange 49. The opposite edges of theplates are left open toprovide weirs whereby liquids ascending through the settled out orwash'liquids pass from a lower baiiie to be intercepted by the nextupper baffle, and so on until the treated liquid reaches the settlingchamber. The baiiles are supported in the proper spaced relation bymeans of posts 50 attached to the lower corner thereof, as best shown inFig. 11.

It is possible that some gas will break out of the oil through itstravel up through the baiile section, and this liberated gas would bedetrimental to'proper settling out of the oil and water. To avoid thiswe provide an inverted, panshaped collector 5|, of sufiicient size tointercept any gas bubbles arising from the baffle section, but thedepending sides 52 thereof are spaced sufllciently from the walls of thetreating chamber to form passageways 53 for the ascending liquids. Thegas collector is suspendingly supported in position through attachmentto the lower end of a vertical pipe or stack 54 located substantially inthe axis of the tank and extending through the partitions l9 and 21 sothat the upper end thereof opens into the gas separating chamber. Thegas thus collected is returned by way of the stack 54 to the gasseparating chamber.

For some reason the liquid, after reaching the top baflie, and in itsupward travel through the bodies of liquid collecting in the settlingspace, has a tendency to roll from side to side, thereby producingagitation in the bodies of liquids. To

overcome this difliculty we install a spaced series of battles 55 and55, which may consist of a plurality of closely arranged tubes 51 thatare secured together and anchored within the tank, as best shown inFigs. 1 and 4, to form vertical channels through which the oil rises andthrough which water drops may fall vertically. The tubes are of small,cross-sectional area and are of sufllcient length to prevent the side toside or cross-roll of the rising liquid. The freed or separated oilcollects in a body on top of the free water and is drawn of! through anoutlet 53 in the side of the tank and which is protected by an openbox-like weir 53. The outlet 58 is connected with a pipe 60, having 9.depending leg 5|, to the lower end of which is connected a valve 52 thatis automatically operated responsive to the hydraulic head of oilaccumulating in the leg 6!.

Positioned within the outlet 28 is a water discharge siphon 63,including a pipe 64 having its lower end extending to a point adjacentthe bottom oi the water knock-out compartment and having its upper endprovided with a stuffing box 55 in which is reciprocably mounted anadjustable, tubular weir 56, tclescopingly received within the pipe 64and having its upper or outlet end projecting into an outlet chamber 61that is separated from the outlet 28 and has a water outlet 68 in thebottom thereof. The outlet 68'connects with a depending leg of a waterpipe 69 which is equipped with an automatic valve 10 operable by apredetermined hydrostatic head of water in the pipe, similar to the oiloutlet valve previously described. The tubular weir is adjusted by meansof a threaded screw-shaft ll threadedly engaged in a nut 12 carried bythe head 4 of the tank and is rotated by a crank 13. The lower end ofthe rod is connected with a bail-shaped yoke 14 fixed to the upper endof the obvious that rotation of the crank I3, raises and lowers thetubular weir so that the upper :end. thereof may'be located at thedesired draw-oi! level to balance the desired hydrostatic head of oiland water in the water knock-out chamber. The threaded shaft H is housedwithin a tube 15 which extends upwardly within the gas sep-" aratingchamber and provides means equalizing pressure on the siphon.

The treating chamber is provided with a similar draw-off siphonincluding a tube 16 extending from a point adjacent the bottom 01' thetank upwardly within the treating chamber to for the respective ends ofconnect with an outlet chamber 11. The cham-' ber 11 has a dischargeopening 18 in the lower end which is connected by a branch pipe 19 'withthe pipe 69. Slidable through a stufling box 80 is a tubular weir Bl,adjustably positioned by means of a threaded shaft 32, similar to theshaft previously prescribed, the shaft 82 extending upwardly through atubular housing 84 and terminating exteriorly of the tank in anactuating crank 83. The treating chamber portion of the tank is equippedwith sight gauges 85 and 86, a pressure gauge 81, and a thermometer 88,as shown in Fig. 1.

In operating an apparatus constructed and assembled as described, thewell fluids, to which may have been added a suit-able chemical to aid inbreaking up the emulsion, are discharged into the gas separating chamberthrough the flow inlet 24. Upon inlet into the tank the flow isdefiected circumferentially of the inner wall thereof by the baffle 25.This circular movement of the fluids causes the gas to separate from theliquids, the separated gas passing out through the spray extractor andthrough the pipe 34 to thegas line 36. Upon opening of the valves 39 andII a portion of the gas is supplied to the burners to directly heat theexterior portion of the tank including the treating cham ber. Theproducts of combustion circulate upwardly along the sides of the tank ina devious course due to the bafiles l1 and pass out through the stackIS.

The separated liquids flow from the gas separating chamber through theoutlet 28, into thewater knock-out chamber 22 wherein a primaryseparation of free water from the oil and emulsion occurs, the watersettling to the bottom of the chamber and the oil and the top asindicated in Fig. 1. When the oil rises to the top of the flume 32, itoverflows through the flume and is delivered to the bottom of thetreating chamber under the plate 3|. Elimination of free water from theflow in the tubular weir. It is thus emulsion rising to water'knock-outchamber reduces the fiow volume passed through the flume 32 and reducesthe heating load in'the treating chamber. This reduction in volumeconsequently reduces the velocity of the liquid with the result that theheat and chemical, if used, have ample time to effect breaking of theemulsion. The liquid passing through the time moves in direct contactwith the heated surface of the tank so that it is brought to thetemperature carried in the treating chamber prior to admission of theliquids therein. The readily vaporized constituents of the liquid aretherefore gasifled in the flum and gravitate upwardly therethrough forreturn to' the water knock-out chamber, from wherethe vapor passesthrough the equalizing tube 21*into the gas separating chamber and iscontacted with the cold incoming flow. The recoverable portions of thevapors are condensed thereby and the uncondensed vapors pass out throughfree gas.

The liquid, upon entering the treating chamber, passes under the outeredge of' the plate the spray extractor, along with the "3| and mXjiQYeSupwardly under. the first battle to the end thereof,where it rises tothe succeeding bailles in a thin, sheet-like formation. The tortuousmovement of the liquid prolongs its stay in the heating and chemicaltreating zone and gives sufficient time for settling out the major partof the water which remains in the bottom of the heating chamber. Thefreed oil rises to the top of the treating chamber and is drawn oilthrough the outlet 58 and pipe 60. When a sufiicient amount of oilaccumulates in the leg SI of the pipe tooperate the automatic valve 52,the valve opens to discharge the oil. The excess water, accumulating inthe treating chamber, rises upwardly through the tube 16 and flowsthrough the tubular weir 8| for 'discharge into the outlet chamber, fromwhich it flows through the branch 19 into the pipe 6:], where the wateris discharged upon accumulation of a predetermined hydrostatic headthrough the valve 10. The tubular weir 8| is adjusted to maintain adefinite height of wash water in the treating chamber by actuation ofthe crank 83. The excess water is being similarly drawn from theknock-out chamber through the tube 54, the tubular weir 66 having beenadjusted by manipulation of the crank 13 to maintain the water level atthe desired height.

The entrained liquid is separated in the spray extractor 33 and returnedto the treating chamber through the stack 54. Any free gas or vaporevolved in the wash section of the treating chamber rises through theliquid therein and is discharged through the outlet 58 and pipe 60 fordisposal or storage.

The tubular baiiles eliminate any cross-currents or turbulence whichmight occur: in the treating chamber so that the settling oil issubstantially undisturbed and free of agitation. Removal of gas andvapor evolved in the water section and trapping thereof by the collectort lako prevents agitation of the settling liquid which would result bybubbling of the gas therethrough. 2

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I v

1. Apparatus of the character described including a vessel, a partitiondividing the vessel into an upper free water separating chamber and alower emulsion treating chamber, means for conducting a well ilowcontaining free water and an oil and water emulsion mixture to thevessel and having an outlet in the lower portion of said upper chamber,means connected with the upper chamber fpr maintaining a predeterminedlevel of separated free water above the inlet of said mixture, a timeconnecting the free water separating chamber at a point above the freewater level with the lower portion of the emulsion treating chamber,means ior heating the emulsion in the emulsion treating chamber topromote gravity separation of the oil and water components of theemulsion, means connected with the emulsion treating chamber forseparately removing said oil and water components, a series of bafllessupported in the emulsion treating chamber forming a tortuous path forupward movement of the emulsion, a gas collector supported in theemulsion treating chamber above said baflles and below an upperquiescent zone in said chamber in which theoil and water stratify forremoving any gas liberated incidental to heating, a gas discharge ductconnected with said gas collector, and means supported in said quiescentzone of the emulsion treating chamber for preventing a cross roll of thegravitating oil and water components.

2. Apparatus of the character described including a vessel having atreating chamber, means for heating an emulsion in the treating chamberto promote gravity separation of oil and water components of theemulsion, means connected with said emulsion treating chamber forseparately removing said 011 and water components, a series of 'baillessupported in the emulsion treating chamber forming a tortuous path forupward movement of the emulsion, means supported in the emulsiontreating chamber for preventing a cross-roll of the gravitating oil andwater components, a gas collector supported in the emulsion treatingchamber between said baflles and said cross-roll preventing means forcollecting any gas liberated incidental to heating of the emulsion, anda gas discharge duct connected with said gas collector.

3. An apparatus of the character described including a vessel havinghorizontally spaced partitions dividing the vessel into an upper gasseparating chamber, a lower emulsion treating chamber, and anintermediate free water separating chamber, means for admitting a wellflow to the gas separating chamber, a flume connecting the lower portionof the gas separating chamber with the lower portion of the free waterseparating chamber. for conducting liquid components of the flow intothe free water separating chamber, means connected with the free waterseparating chamber for discharging water separated in said chamber, aflume having its inlet connected with the upper portion of the freewater separating chamber for conducting oil and emulsion components ofthe flow to the lower portion of the emulsion treating chamber, meansfor heating the emulsion treating chamber to promote gravity separationof the oil and water components of the emulsion, means separatelyremoving separated oil and water from the emulsion treating chamber, aseries of bailles in the emulsion treating chamber forming a tortuouspath for the liquids delivered to said chamber, a gas collecting meanssupported in the emulsion chamber above the baflles and below an upperquiescent zone in said chamber in which the oil and water stratify forcollecting gas evolved incidental to heating of-the liquids, a ductconnected with the gas collecting means for conducting the gas to thegas separating chamber, and a plurality of vertically arranged tubessupported in the emulsion treating chamber within said quiescent zone toprevent crossroll of the separated oil and water rising toward said oiland water removing means.

HAROLD K. IHRIG. HARLAN S. BARNES.

